By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) Chief Chinemerem Madu on Wednesday unveiled how another NEC member was contracted with N28m to ensure that the party’s Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar does not emerge as the next president of the country.
Madu who made the disclosure to journalists n Wednesday in Abuja on the sideline of the inauguration of the PDP presidential campaign council of the party, alleged that a National Vice Chairman of the party who he refused to disclose his name was contracted to execute the hatchet job.
He further revealed that the NEC member has already confessed to have been heavily bankrolled and contracted to approach and lobby other NEC members with sums ranging from N25 million to N28 million each to address a damaging press conference and fabricate stories aimed at derailing the Presidential Campaign.
He said: “Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are alerted of furtive moves by a compromised National Vice Chairman and a couple of members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to derail our Presidential Campaign and scuttle the deserving victory of our Presidential Candidate, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar at the 2023 general elections.
“This National Vice Chairman and his cohorts who confessed to have been heavily bankrolled are approaching and offering members of NEC sums ranging from N25 million to N28 million each to address a damaging press conference with fabrications aimed at derailing the Presidential Campaign.
“The said National Vice Chairman had approached me personally as a member of NEC to inform me of plots to orchestrate a heavily funded Press Conference to be addressed by select NEC members seemingly calling for the resignation of the National Chairman, Sen. Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, but actually targeted at frustrating the Atiku Abubakar Presidential bid.
“He pointedly confessed to me that the demands and agitation of his group has not been against the Party Chairman, as the public have been made to believe, but against Atiku Abubakar.
“He also vowed that nothing will assuage the group which is now bent at derailing the PDP Presidential Campaign.”
Disclosing when the plot will be hatched, the NEC member disclosed that it will be carried out soon after the inauguration of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and official commencement of campaigns.
He said: “Central to this plot is the timing of the damaging press conference, which has been scheduled to hold soon after the inauguration of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and official commencement of campaigns with a view to unsettle the PDP Presidential Campaign and scuttle Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential bid.
“Part of the scheme is to use the press conference to throw up heavily concocted script which will contain unprintable damaging claims, assertions and allusions that will trigger confusion within the Party and sidetrack the Presidential Campaign
“The said National Vice Chairman informed me of how huge sums have been paid to certain media houses and social media influencers to isolate and escalate the damaging content of the press content and throw up negative narratives to frustrate the campaign.
“As a loyal and very dedicated Party man, I am obliged to alert PDP leaders, members, supporters and the general public and expose this furtive scheme against Atiku Abubakar, which is completely against the national interest.”
He asked party members and the public to look out for any NEC member that will issue a damning accusations against the party’s candidate in the nearest future, adding that the NEC member involved in such a press conference had obviously fallen to the juicy financial offer by the said National Vice Chairman and his paymasters.
However, attempts to get reaction from the campaign council was unsuccessful as they were all busy with the inauguration and book launch ceremonies.
